474 
Flax for Paper-making. 
" The acreage under flax in Great Britain in 1880 analysed was as follows : 
England 8788 acres. 
Wales 15 „ 
Scotland 182 « 
8985 " 
I find in the ' Rural Cyclopanlia ' that in 1846 Mr. Sharman 
Crawford, INI. P., produced one-third of a ton of fibre per acre, 
and the Mr. Warnes quoted by Mr. Thomson, when growing 
only for seed, found flax an equally profitable crop as corn ; and 
that several growers about the year 1845, in Suffolk, Norfolk, 
and Essex, grew from 20 to 29 bushels of seed per acre ; and 
that Mr. Negus, of Downham INIarket, grew 32 bushels per acre. 
I contribute this paper in the earnest hope and sincere convic- 
tion that British farmers and the manufacturers of linen and paper 
should at once turn their serious attention to the production of 
flax in this country, and that by so doing the restoration of 
agricultural prosperity would be considerably assisted. 
Postscript, September 11th. 
My crop of flax is now just ripe, and though planted late, 
is on the whole a very satisfactory crop, and will compare 
favourably with my corn crops. Notwithstanding the incessant 
wet, the crop has done fairly well, though I observe that it is 
best on the driest ground. 
The first piece of 10 acres, after peas, manured with a fair 
dressing of farmyard-manure, was planted early in April ; but 
owing to the over-anxiety of the bailiff to get on with the 
planting, and his want of experience in flax-growing, the seed 
was planted before the ground worked kindly ; a heavy fall of 
rain came immediately after, making the land hard on the 
surface ; innumerable sand-weeds at once made their appearance 
and, in spite of hoeing, spoiled the crop, which will not make 
more than 10 bushels of seed and 10 cwt. of straw per acre : 
this bad return is the result of mismanagement, and nothing 
else. The next piece of 20 acres, after swedes fed off with 
fattening sheep, planted in the first week of May, is a fair crop 
excepting in a wet corner of the field, and will, I think, produce 
30 cwt. of straw and at least 20 bushels of seed per acre. 
The next piece of 10 acres, planted in the second week of 
May, after seeds mown in 1881, manured with a moderate 
dressing of farmyard-manure, broken up and attempted to be 
cleaned in the autumn, finished off in the spring, is a mag- 
nificent crop, quite 2 tons of straw and probably 25 bushels of 
seed per acre. 
